This invention relates to a method and system for allowing a caller to control calls placed to a called party where the called party has activated a call waiting feature on her local telephone line.
A growing number of call processing features are available to users of telecommunications systems. For example, features such as call waiting, call forwarding, voice messaging, and caller identification provide subscribers with desired information and allow subscribers to exercise some control over outgoing and incoming telephone calls. Call waiting is a feature of phone systems that allows a called party to know that a calling party is trying to dial into the telephone directory number of the called party. According to typical call waiting systems, if a called party line is busy with a current telephone call, an incoming telephone call from a calling party is indicated to the called party by the presentation of a beep or tone to the called party that is audible to the called party, but not to the party that is currently connected to the called party. The called party may select the incoming call from the calling party-by hitting the touch hook on the called party""s telephone, or the called party may simply ignore the indication of the incoming call.
The calling party placing a call to a called party utilizing a call waiting feature has no way of knowing that the called party will be notified of the incoming call via the called party""s call waiting feature. Often, a calling party would rather not interrupt a telephone call being conducted by the called party via the called party""s call waiting feature. For example, if the calling party desires to place a call to the called party to convey a brief social message such as a lunch invitation to the called party, the calling party may not wish to have the called party interrupted by the call waiting feature just so that the calling party may invite the called party to lunch. The called party may be engaged in an important telephone call, and the calling party may not wish to disturb the current telephone call.
There is a need in the art for a method and system for allowing a calling party to exercise control over telephone calls placed to a called party whose telephone line is provisioned with an activated call waiting feature. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made.
In accordance with the present invention, the above and other problems are solved by a method and system for allowing a calling party to exercise control over telephone calls placed to a called party whose telephone line is provisioned with an activated call waiting feature. A call waiting control feature is selected at the local telephone switch of the calling party on a call-by-call basis. Alternatively, the call waiting control feature may be provisioned at the switch for all outgoing calls. After a directory number of a called party is entered, a determination is made as to whether the called party has a call waiting feature provisioned on her telephone line, and if so, whether her telephone line is busy.
If the called party does have a call waiting feature on her line, a determination is made as to whether that feature has been activated on the called party""s line. If an activated call waiting feature is provisioned on the called party""s line, a determination is made as to whether the called party""s line is currently busy. If an activated call waiting feature is provisioned on the called party""s line and the called party""s line is busy, the caller""s switch is instructed to terminate the call attempt. If an activated call waiting feature is not provisioned on the called party""s line, or if an activated call waiting feature is provisioned on the called party""s line, but the called party""s line is not busy, the caller""s switch is instructed to proceed with the call attempt. If the call attempt is to be terminated, a message may be played to the caller to alert the caller that the called party""s line is busy, that a call waiting feature is activated on the called party""s line, and that the call attempt is being terminated.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the call waiting control method and system are switch-based where the determinations as to the call waiting status and busy status of the called party""s line are made from information obtained from the called party""s switch. According to another aspect, the call waiting control method and system are network-based. According to the network-based method and system, the determinations as to the call waiting status and busy status of the called party""s line are made at a network component such as a service control point or service node that is tasked with providing call waiting services for the called party.
These and other features and advantages, which characterize the present invention, will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention as claimed.